By the time Leah Benson collapsed, half the chemistry class already had their phones out.

The storm clouds had rolled in by 11:30 PM, pouring sheets of freezing rain over the rusted corrugated iron roofs of the Miller’s Creek Industrial Park.

Three black, unmarked state police SUVs sat parked two blocks away behind a row of overgrown pine trees, their lights completely blacked out. Inside the lead vehicle, Sadie sat between Agent Reyes and a tactical officer monitoring thermal imaging screens.

"Vance’s unmarked cruiser just pulled into the perimeter," Agent Chen whispered from the front seat, looking through night-vision binoculars. "He’s alone. He’s driving around to the back loading dock."

"What about Crowe?" Reyes asked.

"Crowe’s sedan is already parked near unit 4B. He brought the shipment."

Sadie looked at the thermal screen. Two heat signatures were visible inside the main bay of unit 4B.

"They're using the old freight elevator entrance," Sadie pointed out, tapping the digital blueprint map she had drawn for the team. "If you enter through the front gate, the metallic doors make a loud clanking noise that echoes through the whole structure. They'll hear you coming and burn the evidence or escape through the storm drainage tunnel."

"Where does the drainage tunnel lead?" Reyes asked.

"Out to the creek bank behind the timber yard. You need to block that exit first."

Reyes nodded, speaking into her tactical radio headset. "Teams Alpha and Bravo, move into position around the rear drainage outlet. Team Charlie, cover the perimeter doors. We move on my mark."

Sadie watched as six heavily armed state troopers slipped silently into the shadows of the rain-drenched yard.

"Stay in the vehicle, Sadie," Reyes ordered, checking her sidearm one last time. "This ends tonight."

Sadie watched through the rain-streaked window as Reyes and Chen disappeared into the dark. Her heart beat rapidly against her ribs. She couldn't just sit in the dark while her future was decided inside that crumbling building.

She pulled her hood over her head, slowly opened the SUV door, and slipped out into the freezing night air.

Moving silently along the shadow of the brick boundary wall, Sadie worked her way toward the elevated catwalk window she knew overlooked unit 4B. She climbed the old iron fire escape, her boots making no sound on the wet metal, until she reached the dusty glass pane near the roofline.

Looking down into the dimly lit warehouse, she had a clear view of the floor below.

A single hanging bulb illuminated a wooden crate. Mr. Crowe was pulling large plastic vacuum-sealed bricks of bright blue pills from a duffel bag and stacking them inside.

Detective Vance stood across from him, holding a silver briefcase filled with stacks of hundred-dollar bills.

"This is forty thousand," Vance said, his voice carrying clearly up toward the roof rafters. "The university buyers are paying double for this batch. Tell me this stuff is cleaner than the batch that girl swallowed."

Crowe scoffed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Leah Benson was stupid. She panicked and took three times the dosage because she thought she was going to fail her midterm. The formula is fine."

"The Monroe girl almost blew the whole thing wide open," Vance growled, snapping the briefcase shut. "Her lawyer is pushing for a preliminary hearing. I had to personally override the forensics team to stop them from dusting the pill baggie for prints."

"She’s a teenager," Crowe said dismissively, sealing the wooden crate. "Nobody believes her. By next week, she’ll be sitting in a juvenile detention center, and this whole thing will be forgotten."